Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-02-10
The Home Market for Farmers.
Editorial in Mn~aukce (wis.l JOurnul.l

During the war of the rebellion and
at its close the farmers of the United
States had the complete command ot
the European markets for all their sur
plus products. Our breadstuffs, our
meats, our tobacco and corn were then
received from Europe partly in pay
ment to dividends accruing to Euro
pean holders of United States bonds,
as also of railway and other stocks, and
partly in return for such of their pro-
duets, either raw or manufactured, as
we imported. This great demand for
our agricultural products naturally en-.
hanced their price, and the farmers in
this way had an Offset for the greatly
increased price, caused by the tariff, OF
of the manufactured goods which the
| farmers consumed.
This condition of things has greatly
changed. The payment of her bonds
by the United States government has
cut off all dividends from this source,
and the nefarious dealings of the mag
mates of railway and other corporations,
combined with the opening up of other
fields for the profitable employment of
capital e. G. railroads and other means
of transportation in India and else
where, has caused still further with
drawal of foreign capital and the conse-
quence remittance of dividends, so that
we can dispose of our agricultural pro-
ducts now only in return for what for
eign products the purchasers have to
give in exchange. Their need of our
breadstuffs, ETC., is as great as ever, and
had we consented to this fair exchange
the European market would still have
been ours and the farmer would still
have continued to receive fair remun-
Grafton for his labor. The protection
lists both in Congress and out of Con-
gress kept dinging into the ears of the
farmer that the foreign market was
mere bagatelle, a thing not worth con-
sidering, indeed that the less they had
of it the better; that an exclusive home
market was the thing and was sure to
yield them better prices. The bucolic
mind is trustful, is indeed credulous.
The farmers have believed them, have
hurrahed for high tariff, have got a
home market and home market prices
and there is every prospect that every
year will intensity it.
The United States has now an annual
surplus of 0,000, 900 bushels of wheat
and other agricultural products, in
about the same ratio for which the
home market offers no demand. This
must be sold abroad or glut the home
market. This is just what has taken
place now, and why we have our unre-
munerative prices.
While the changes above mentioned
have been going on in the United
States it is worth while for us to inquire
what has been transpiring abroad.
The labOring classes in Great Britain,
Ireland, Germany, Norway, Sweden,
Italy, Belgium, ETC., must either get
breadstuffs from some other country or
emigrate or starve.
The united area of areable land there
compared with the population compels
to this. But they can't buy unless they
can sell. This is an irrevocable law.
But our protectionist Congress says to
them by the tariff "you can't sell to
u.s." We are beginning to look with
somewhat less favor on immigrants
than formerly. Our experience in Mil
waukee, in Chicago, in Pittsburg and
elsewhere, the utterances of our Croft
kous and the like, are not of the
pleasantest kind and it is no less un-
pleasant for the European laborer to
starve. The people in Europe have
therefore been compelled to look about
and see if there is any other portion of
Gods earth where bread and meat and
cotton and butter and cheese can be
had for what they have to give in ex-
change and, contrary to what the pro-
tectionists pursuaded the American
farmer to believe, they find that there
are immense regions ofjust this sort in
India, Australia. South Africa. South
America and by the Black Sea and in